The ink for my printer is $90. Yes, $90! How long does it last? Well, it depends. Depends on the images printed, how much ink is wasted cleaning nozzles, running print checks, etc. My guess is, you can get 30-40 pages out of a full set of ink.

The best tip for the ink that I've found is to refill is with these ink refills. They are $10 a color and are SO nice to have on hand when you realize that you're out of magenta and your printer won't work without it.

{Refilling the tanks can get messy and I won't pretend I know any tricks to doing it, other than batting your eyelashes and seeing if you can get your hubby to take over. Worked for me.}

Getting ready to print:

Scan your picture or save it on your computer. Use a photo editing software (I like PhotoScape) to crop it to the size of your cookie cutter. The easiest way to do this is to view the image at 100% and hold your cookie cutter up to the screen. I like to make my images just a tad smaller than the actual cutter.

Put as many pictures as you can fit into a Word or Open Office document. I typically get 6 per sheet, of course, you'll get more if your cookies are smaller. The frosting sheets have a printing area of 7.5 x 10".

BEFORE PRINTING:

Run a nozzle check of the printer.

If any colors are not printing, run the print head cleaning (you may need to run it twice).

If one of the colors is still not printing, turn off the printer, remove the specific color and swab the nozzle with a damp QTip.

Print a test page on a plain sheet of paper. (Once you see that it is printing correctly, you can cancel the print job to keep from wasting ink.)

There are a few ways to apply the sheets. (And, I'm only talking cookies here, not applying to cakes.)

Once printed, I find the sheets a little easier to work with if they have "aged" a little. Now, this could be because I live in a really humid area, I don't know. But, when I've tried to used them immediately, I have had problems with tearing.

So, if I'm using them right after printing, I leave them out on the counter for a bit....at least 15 minutes to dry out. You don't want to leave them out too long, or they will become brittle. If I'm not going to use them the same day, I store them in a gallon-sized baggie. Then, before using, I'll cut them into the size needed and let them sit out while I prep the cookies.

Method #1 (my favorite): Prepare the images by cutting the size needed, set aside. Outline and fill the cookie with royal icing. While the icing is still wet, remove the backing from the frosting sheet and gently place on the cookie. Pat the edges and corners down. This may make up to 48 hours to dry.

Method #2 (I used this method on these St. Patrick's Day cookies): Prepare the images by cutting the size needed, set aside. Thin piping consistency royal icing with water until it is loosened. It should not be runny, just easily spreadable. Remove the backing from the image and gently cover the back with the loosened icing. Adhere to the cookie. Because the icing is not as wet underneath, these don't take as long to dry. (I like this method for when you don't want to add or see a border.)

Method #3 involves brushing corn syrup on the back of the image and applying it to a dry cookie. I haven't had any luck with this method. The corn syrup seemed to tear and stretch the sheets and the ones that didn't tear felt sticky to the touch.

A few more tips....

"Hot hands" can tear the images. My hands are cold all the time....except when I decorate cookies. If this happens to you, wash your hands in really cold water and dry thoroughly. Repeat as needed. I also will take the ice pack for kiddo's lunchbox out of the freezer and hold onto it for a while.

A piped or sprinkled edge is a really nice way to finish the cookies or hide uneven edges. I love a #16 star tip!

Use your printer once a week....even if you don't need to...to help prevent ink clogging.

Wait AT LEAST 24 hours before packaging. Tap gently on the image to see if it's dry.

Never use your icing printer with real ink. :)

Now, here's the real deal....would I buy one again?I'm not sure. It's nice to have, but the troubleshooting hasn't been fun.

If you don't have an icing printer, but want to use

images printed on frosting sheets

, here's what you do. Format your pictures and take your file on an SD card or flash drive to your local bakery supply (or even the grocery store). Call first, but more than likely, they can print FOR you! Our bakery supply charges about $7 per sheet.

I'm not an expert at these images printed on frosting sheets, so if I come across any other tips, I'll be sure to pass them along!

Lots of useful tips here Bridget and you have done some wonderful cookies with the edible images. I thought I might like an icing printer but I spend enough money on my *paper only* printer as it is. I think I've decided what my next big baking investment is going to be and it doesn't take any cartridges...just bulbs!

I can definitely see some advantages, but at the same time, I know that my military commissary will print icing sheets for me if I ever need them (so far, I've not ventured into that part of decorating!). I appreciate your frank & honest endorsements. :-)

Bridget, you are amazing! This information and advice is priceless. I have been thinking about getting one of these printers for a few years. There are so many more available now. I had no idea. Thanks for sharing your expertise! ~Molly

Thank you so much, Bridget! I'm with Kristan -- thinking I'll give decorating another few months before I decide to invest in an icing printer, given that it's not as easy as I'd thought. And my hands are always hot so I'm scrod there. :)

Thank you for all the tips! I actually purchased a printer, inks, sheets back in September and it's all still in the packaging! ): BUT, I have a couple of orders for logos and I'm going to try and get it out this weekend! Not looking forward to the troubleshooting part, but am hopeful all goes well...especially with all your tips! Thanks for sharing! I've learned so much from you!

What an awesome post! I was so close to buying ink today for my new printer but I had to be sure that the cartridges were compatible with my Canon MX870 printer. Since I wasn't 100% sure, I didn't buy them just yet. The ink is a little more expensive in Toronto...about 22.00 per cartridge and I need 5 for my printer. In any case, I will definitely use some of your suggestions when I finally buy the ink.Thanks,Melissa :)

I have just recently bought a printer and have been making edible images. As you mentioned, I have had some troubles along the way. I have spoken to the company that makes the ink and frosting sheets about 15 times over the phone. You are actually supposed to use REAL INK to clean the print head. They are non toxic, and can easily be interchanged with the edible ink when it comes to print time. I drained an entire set of edible ink cartridges (eeek!) cleaning the print head. The company told me the edible inks are water based and should not be used for cleaning the print head, but to use the real inks. (Because they are non toxic.)

I just thought I would leave that little note for anyone who may have some serious head cleaning issues, like myself. =)

Thank you so much for taking the time to break this down for us! I do edible images from time to time (but usually on cakes) - but wasn't sure if it was worth the cost/hassle of investing in, so for now I just get what I need from the cake shop... thank you for explaining!

How would you even begin to price a project. Say, per cookie? I have a cake business and sometimes I do the bakery method which is cheaper but the images don't always turn out the way I want them. I am still wondering if I should bite the bullet and purchase a printer for my own use.

While everyone can use frugal cooking tips, no one needs to cut back on food costs more than a mom. When you have kids to feed, it becomes even more important that you provide them with cheap, nutritious food. Gone are the days when ramen noodles could sustain you for months . . . now you need healthy food on a tight budget!

Thank you so much for the images on cookies post. Your work is beautiful! I purchased a printer so I could do logos for one company here in town and last weekend they all stuck to the parchment. I will try your method with more success, I'm sure. Thanks for the tips!

I know this is an old post but I hope you can help. I had Wal-Mart print some images for me and I know you said it takes 24-48 hours for it to dry (I'm also in Woodlands area so maybe closer to 48 because of humidity). How long will the image on the cookie be good for? I'm trying to figure out how far in advance I can make them and as is my first time using them. Thanks for your help.

i think I would take a picture of my greatgranddaughter, Mia Potesta, who is half S. Korean, and wow she is a beauty, and I would love to have this to make my daughter, Jennifer, a birthday cake with Mia's face on her 40th birthday cake. They have had a very difficult time, as so many, but this would make Jennifer smile for months. Thank you, kerbe

I have been using edible images for a few years now and my favourite cookie "trick" is to flood the cookies with royal icing and let them dry completely (12-24 hours) before applying the images. Once the icing is dry, I paint a thin coating of cookie glue ( 2:1 of water:corn syrup) onto the cookie with a clean artists brush. Then just apply the edible image. smooth out any bubbles and voila! You can then finish the edges with piped lines, rosettes, etc.

So, I finally bit the bullet and bought a compatible icing printer (only because it was on a great sale). The frosting sheets and ink came in today so I'll be trying it out soon. I've been back to this post a few times now and keep re-reading all your tips. Just want to say thanks for sharing all this information.

Hi there! Have you tried the Kopykake free software, or is there a special reason you've chosen the one you recommend? Do you have a way to format the images in the software you use onto 2 inch circles? Thanks so much, and such a wonderful post!

I print edible images as a business from home and believe me it is not all gum drops and lollipops. You can tell what kind of day I have had by the ink on my hands. No ink good day, if my hands look like an Easter egg dont talk to me lol. These things clog like crazy which is quite frustrating.

These are some great pointers although viewing an image at 100% is not recommended if you are using that to gauge the size of a printout. Different screen resolutions will make that 100% image appear much larger or smaller than the actual printout.

Have you had any luck freezing cookies with the edible images on them? I haven't tried it yet but have noticed that when I've used these on cookies stored at room temp, the edible image has tended to get hard after a few days, so was nervous about freezing them. Maybe I'm just not using the right brand of image sheets though!

Nice and useful post thumbs up for you dear i want to know you that now you can find cheap and best Ink and Toner Cartridges for you all kinds of printers but this one stop shop is limited for Australian fallows must visit hope you will find something really good.

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Welcome to Bake at 350! I'm Bridget and I like all things sweet...especially cookie decorating. I hope you'll find some inspiration here. So, grab a chair (and a cookie) and let's get baking! [read more here >>]